Straw-burning traction-engine boiler.



ow 0 9 1 4' Pm A M, D .E T N E T A P QM R E B M A H 0 H G L 4 3 2 7 nu NSTRAW BURNING TRACTION ENGINE BOILER.

APPLICATION IILED AUG. 12, 1901.

no MODEL.

, www W Mfnesses I is capable of ascending and descending steep 2Oboiler of great strength and large capacity,

UNITED STATES PATENT EFICE.

CLARENCE ELMER CHAMBERS, OF SAN JACINTO, CALIFORNIA.

SITRAW-BURNING TRACTION-ENGINE BOILER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,241, dated March24, 1903. Application filed August 12, 1901. Serial Nol 71,838; (Nomodel.)

side and State of California, haveinveuted a new and usefulStraw-Burning Traction-Engine Boiler, of which the followingis aspecification.

This invention is particularly designed for a steam-boiler to be used ona traction-engine adapted for burning straw. It is also adapt I ed,however, for burning other kinds of fuel and is an economical boiler'forstationary engines and also for locomotive-boilers.

One of the objects of this inventiouis to i provide a steam-boiler ofgreat capacity which grades without exposing the crown-sheet to thesteam.

Another object is to provide a very narrow so that it can be carried onwheels having a very narrow tread between them.

Another object in view is to provide great strength and also to provideagainst lodgment of sediment on any part of the boiler subject totheiaction of the flame, thereby to prevent any burning out of theboiler.

front elevation of the boiler.

The accompanyingdrawings illustrate my invention.

In the drawings I have omitted the stayrods and braces, and it is to beunderstood that in constructing the boiler the necessary braces andstay-rods will be employed.

Figure I is a longitudinal mid-section of a boiler embodyingmyinvention. Fig. II is a Figs. III, IV, and V are sections,respectively, on lines III, IV, and V,-respectively, Fig. I, looking tothe left. Fig. V1 is an elevation on line VI,

. Fig. I, looking to the right.

1 2 3 indicate in a general way a combined boiler-shell, steam-dome, andwater-leg.

4 indicates a fire-box located within the water-leg and below thesteam-dome and:

5 and a flue-sheet 6,:forming the front wall of said upward extension.

7 indicates a smoke-box at the front end of the boiler. Said smoke-boxis provided with a suitable smoke-outlet 8 into a smoke-stack 9, leadingtherefrom.

inside wall 13 of the water-leg.

6 of the fire-box and the flue-sheet 11 of the smokebox.

12 indicates the upper front sheet of the fire-box, and the same is bentin asemicylindrical form and extends between the lower water-space ofthe boiler and-the front of the fire-box and is connected at the rearwith the flue-sheet 6 and at front and sides with the Said front sheetof the fire-box slopes forward and downward beneath the tubes 10 to thewall of the water-leg 3.

a indicates the boiler-shell, the front portion b of which iscylindrical, and said shell has at its rear end .an upward extension 0to form the steam-dome above the tubes and the fire-box. The transversediameter of the upward extension 0 of the boiler-shell is approximatelythe same as the diameter of the cylindrical portion 5 of saidboiler-shell, and the water-leg 3 is preferably of no greater diameterfrom side to side than the greatest diameter of the shell. The upwardextension 0 of the boiler is above the level of the cylindrical portion1), and the forward extension of the water-leg is below said portion.The upward extension 5 of the fire-box is between the body of the boilerand the water-leg of the boiler. By constructing the parts in thismanner a thin body of water is exposed to the action of the heat at thesides and on top of the leg extension and also at the sides of thefire-box extension, thereby heating it very quickly and causing a veryrapid circulation of the water between the leg and the main portion ofthe boiler; The extension of the leg forward permits of the insertion ofa sufficient quantity of straw to generate the desired amount of steamand also causes the flames to be drawn longitudinally through the leg,thereby causing a complete combustion of the straw, and by locating thecrownsheet 12 at the forward end of the fire-box and inclining it upwardto the rear the blaze from the forward extension ofthe fire-box strikesit and is checked before passing up into the vertical extension 5. Thislessens engines to which my improved boiler is more I particularlyapplicable, and by-reducing the water area at each end and increasing itvertically at the center the inclination of the boiler in vertical planewill not be so apt to expose any portion of the tubes or crownsheet,thereby adapting the engine for use over a rough or hilly country. Theforward crown-sheet 12 of the fire-box slopes forward and downward tothe water-leg 3 in order that any sediment which may fall thereon mayslide down therefrom into the Water-leg.

14 indicates a blow-off cock which may be located at any desirable pointand is preferably in such a position as to readilyblow otf the sedimentwhich may fall on the crownsheet 12. The crown-sheet 15 of the upwardextension 5 of the fire-box is located below very shallow water, for inpractice the waterline of the boiler willcome above the level of thecylindrical portion 2) of the boiler-body. In Fig. 1V it is seen thatthe semicylindrical crown-sheet 15 has an internal convexity extendinginto the waterspace of the boiler, so that when the blow-olf cock 12L isopen the flow of water carried from above downward to the cook 14 willhave a tendency to wash the sediment, ifany,lfrom the crown-sheet. Thelower semicylindrical crown-sheet 12 is inwardly concave for a likepurpose, so that when the blow-off cock 14 is open the flow of the waterin the boiler down the sheet 12 will carry the sediment, if any, downinto the water-leg and to the blow-01f cook.

16 indicates the furnace-door, and 17 the grate-bars of the usual type.The fire-box is greatly elongated between the furnace-door 16 and theupward extension 5 and is surrounded at the top and sides of suchelongated portion with the water-leg 3, so that the fire-box isapproximately inclosed in said water-leg.

18 indicates the steam-pipe leading from the steam-dome. This pipe maybe located at any suitable place.

The steaming capacity of the boiler is made very great by the feature ofconstruction shown, in which the fire-box is so extended and so inclosedby the water-chamber of the boiler, and the heating-surface is greatlyincreased by this construction. Furthermore, a large body of dry steamis provided for by the upward extension of the firebox to nearly abovethe water-level of the boiler.

' It is to be understood that the water-level may be varied within thejudgment of the engineer, and it will also be understood that thecorrect practice is to allow the Hues and fire-box to be alwayssubmerged in the water.

In ascending or descending practical grades the surfaces with which thefire comes into contact will remain below the water-level19, thesteam-dome beingonly over a central portion of the boiler and the bodyof water being sufficient to cover the parts with which it comes incontact.

The smoke-box 7 is surrounded at the sides by the water-space 20 of theboiler, so that the heat which passes through the tubes 10 into thesmoke-box will be largely utilized in producing steam. The upwardextension 2 slopes rearwardly up from the cylindrical body I), so thatthe steam readily passes up into the steam-dome c. The greateststeamspaceis immediately above the portion of the fire-box where thegreatest heat is applied, so that there is as little friction and lossof power possible in the movement of'the steam from the place of itsmost rapid generation to the steam-space c-that is to say, saidsteam-space c is immediately above an enlargement of the fire-box andabove that portion of the tubes which receives the hottest name.

The fire'box comprises the trunk d, the upward extension 5, and theforward extension 6, all within the water-space of the boiler. The trunkd is preferably of considerable length for the purpose of economicallyburning straw.

In practice the fuel will be fed into the furnace in the-ordinary Way,and the heat is taken up by the contents of the main shell and thewater-legs of the boiler which approximately surround the fire-box andthe smokebox.

I believe that a boiler provided with a tirebox com prising a trunk anda forward extension and an upward extension intermediate the fire-boxtrunk and the forward extension and a water-legaround the sides and topof the trunk and at the sides of the extension and above the front ofthe extension is novel. I also consider that a boiler having a fire-boxfurnished with a semicylindrical crown-sheet extending rearward fromabove the tubes of the boiler and also provided with a semicylindricalcrown-sheet extending in a forward direction underneath the rear portionof said tubes is a novelty in the construction of boilers. The fire-boxtrunk, with the forward extension and the upwardly-extending chamberthereof, constitutes a fire-box which is es pecially adapted for theburning of straw or similar material and allows of perfect combustion,and the water-legs therearound are adapted for the absorption of theheat generated from the combustion of such materials. "The arrangementof the semicylindrical crown-sheet extending rearwardly from above thetubes of the boiler allows any sediment which may collect thereon to bereadily drawn downwardly along the sides of the crown-sheet when theblow-off valve is opened,

upward extension of the fire-box, I provide a boiler which, having asteam-dome interme- 5 diate its length and above the fire-box, has atall times a covering of water over the fire-box (when a sufficientsupply of water is in the boiler) whenever the boiler is ascending ordescending any reasonable grade, thereby preventing the danger orliability of burning the crown-sheet. This feature I do not believe tohave been used in a traction-engine boiler before my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. A boiler provided with an elongated water-leg having a fire-boxtherein, said box being provided with a vertical extension inter mediateits ends, and tubes or fiues leading from said extension through theboiler.

2. A boiler provided with an elongated wator-leg and having a fire-boxtherein, said box being provided with a vertical extension intermediateits ends, the top of the rear end of the box being substantiallyhorizontal and convex and the top of the forward portion being inclinedand concave.

3. A boiler provided with an elongated water-leg and having a fire-boxtherein, said box being provided with a vertical extension intermediateits ends, the boiler being provided with a blow-off cock substantiallymidway of its width and on a line with the bottom of the water-leg, thetop of the rear portion of the fire-box being convex and the forward endbeing concave and inclined toward the blow-0E cock.

4. A boiler provided at its rear end with a vertical extension and arearwardly-projecting water-leg, a fire-box in the water-leg, the top ofwhich is provided with a vertical extension intermediate its ends, thetop of the fire-box extension terminating at a distance below the top ofthe boiler extension, and the sides and top oft-he fire-box lyingadjacent to the sides and top of the water-leg and the sides of thevertical extension lying adjacent to the sides of the boiler, whereby arapid circulation of water and generation of steam is effected.

5. A boiler provided with a cylindrical for- Ward end and a verticalextension and an elongated water-leg at the rear end, the verticalextension being above and the water-leg being below the level of themain portion of the boiler; a smoke-box in the forward end, a fire-boxwithin the water-leg, the walls of which lie adjacent to the walls ofthe waterleg and the top provided with a vertical ex tensionintermediate its ends, the top of said extension being at a distancebelow the top of the boiler extension, and fire-tubes from the top ofthe fire-box extension to the smokebox, the dues occupying the main partof the tubular portion of the boiler, whereby the water-space at thecenter is greater than at either end.

6. A boiler provided with a cylindrical forward end and a parallel-sidedvertical extension and an elongated water-leg at the rear end, thevertical extension being above and the water-leg below the level of themain portion of the boiler, the width of the boiler, the extension andthe water-leg being the same and the height of the boiler through therearend of the vertical extension and the forward portion of theWater-leg greatly exceeding the width of the boiler, and a fire-box inthe water-leg, the top of which is provided with a vertical extensionintermediate its ends, the top of the fire-box extension terminating ata distance below the top of the vertical boiler extension.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, at San Jacinto, in the county ofRiverside and State of California, this 1st day of August, 1901.

CLARENCE ELMER CHAMBERS.

Witnesses:

J. FRED HARDS, NICHOLAS GLENN.

